Alejandro Balde's Barcelona Absence Sparks Manchester United Interest

Alejandro Balde’s Barcelona absence has thrown fresh fuel on Manchester United’s late-window search for a new left-back.

The 22-year-old was one of the most eye-catching omissions from Hansi Flick’s 21-man squad for Sunday night’s clash with Elche in Alicante, a decision that arrives just as United’s interest in the Spaniard has intensified.

United circle as Balde sits out

Barcelona begin their delayed LaLiga title defence without Balde, and the timing is impossible to ignore. Over the past few days, reports have stacked up suggesting the defender has emerged as United’s preferred option as they hunt a long-term successor to Luke Shaw before the window shuts on September 1.

United are understood to have already made contact with super-agent Jorge Mendes to explore a deal, with Spanish outlets reporting that conversations over Balde have moved beyond the exploratory stage. Mendes has been in Catalonia this week, initially to finalise Joao Cancelo’s return to Camp Nou, but his visit quickly broadened in scope.

According to reports in Spain relayed by Sport Witness, Mendes also held talks with Barcelona over two more of his clients: Balde and Marc Casado. Both were then left out of Flick’s travelling party to Elche, along with another player linked with a move away, Hector Fort. For a club trying to project calm, the selection list told its own story.

Flick is said not to be keen on losing Balde, yet the full-back’s omission at a moment of intense transfer speculation will only encourage United. Jijantes have gone further, claiming the Spain international now wants to leave Barcelona in the final days of the window, with Mendes working to secure him a new destination.

United’s left-back puzzle

At Old Trafford, the need is clear. Shaw turned 31 last month and has entered the final year of his contract, even if United retain an option to extend that deal by 12 months. The club want a younger left-back to grow into the role and eventually take over.

Lewis Hall was initially at the top of their shortlist, but Newcastle have dug in. After a summer in which they have already lost Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, the idea of sanctioning another major departure has been firmly resisted. There have even been whispers of a late push for Hall, though with just over a week of the window left, that kind of move now looks close to impossible.

So United’s gaze has widened. RB Leipzig captain David Raum has been linked, as has Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas, who is also on Atletico Madrid’s radar. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown is another name in the frame. Yet none of those options carry the same intrigue as prising a young, attack-minded Spain international out of Barcelona.

Carrick’s warning sign

United’s transfer focus has swung back to the left side of defence after they finally landed their third midfield signing of the summer, sealing a deal for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba worth an initial £65million plus a further £5m in add-ons.

That midfield reinforcement was badly needed, but so too is defensive help. Michael Carrick watched his side open the new Premier League season with a bruising 2-0 defeat away at newly-promoted Hull, a performance that followed a flat end to pre-season capped by a 4-2 loss to an AC Milan team coached by former United boss Ruben Amorim.

The message from those games was stark: this squad still has holes. And as Balde sits out Barcelona’s latest trip, United sense one of those gaps might just be filled by a player who suddenly looks closer to the exit than anyone at Camp Nou had planned.